#life as a wheelchair user

[fallenstarcat]

sure there’s a ramp, but is it steep? is there a curb at the top? is the ground uneven? do i need a key for the elevator? are the aisles and doorways wide enough? do i have room to turn? is there furniture and clutter in my way? is the carpet difficult to wheel on? can i open the doors myself?

accessibility to wheelchairs is more than just a ramp.

[crippledpastrycryptid]

It's properly snow season again, so here's a

friendly psa

from your neighborhood wheelchair user.

If your sidewalk is not completely shoveled, it isn't usable.

If you can leave footprints in the snow, the snow is too deep. A wheelchair can't get through

If its a narrow pathway people can 'squeeze through', a wheelchair can't get through

If your sidewalk is pristine but the curb cuts are full of snow, a wheelchair cannot get through.

If wheelchairs can't use the sidewalk, our only option is to use the road, and we don't like that any more than you do.

Sincerely, a wheelchair user in the north who would prefer not to be trapped in my apartment for months on end

[faesystem]

As an ambulatory wheelchair user I have so many thoughts about how people draw/write disabled!Scar. This is sort of a guide/insight from a disabled person about writing/drawing disabled people.

Specifically in regards to wheelchair users.

Do not get me wrong, this fandom is genuinely probably the best group of people I have ever seen when it comes to drawing wheelchairs. I do not believe I have ever seen Scar fanart where he is in a completely unusable, horrible, hospital chair. It is so clear people have taken the time and energy to research into wheelchairs and I love it. I am in no way saying stop that.

I just think people could maybe put a little bit more consideration into him being disabled beyond visual appearance.

I saw a really amazing artwork of SL!Scar and he is in a sports chair. Which is really cool, in many ways, as it shows some thought being put into the setting. If I were in combat, I would in fact like to not be knocked from my chair or have my chair tipped over.

Yet, you have very limited mobility in a sports chair. It is, by design, made to prevent you from tipping over. Which means that you are incapable of going over bumps, really, let alone natural terrain.

Just in general, there really is not any wheelchair that exists in our world that would allow wheelchair users to exist in a setting like the life series.

So, I have some ideas:

- Horses. Hands down my biggest suggestion. Especially with Secret Life they fit in very well with the setting, everyone uses them, and it fits the bill perfectly for what he would need. Especially considering Scar is an archer, it makes a lot of sense for him to be on horseback. It suits him and his style of fighting so well.

- Some sort of redstone power chair. There are all sorts of ways you could design something like this. Perhaps with pistons that push down against the ground, allowing for jumps. Perhaps just a series of pistions functioning as like a bunch of little spider legs. There are a lot of things you can do with that, you can get very creative.

- For my Vex!Scar lovers, you could have magic be used as a mobility aid. Perhaps a magic wheelchair, or perhaps a magic exoskeleton.

And with all of the ideas, considering how they fit into the setting really changes everything. What are the strengths? What are the draw backs?

With horses, they are strong and fast and agile. But they are big, it is hard to fit into small spaces, and they can be killed.

With some sort of redstone chair, I feel as though it would make sense for it to be robust and strong. Depending on how it is constructed, something fast and agile or perhaps something a bit slower and more clunky. Is it loud? How would stealth work in something like that?

When it comes to any sort of magic you do not want it to fix the disability. It is a mobility aid like any other. Not perfect, not the same as not being disabled, just another tool with its own unique draw backs. Perhaps magic is draining or it takes concentration. Would he tire quicker than others? Would he require food quicker than others? Is it possible for him to lose focus on it in a stressful situation, leaving him stuck until he can calm himself down?

Other things to consider are really specifically the setting as well as what disability you are giving him.

I feel as though on Hermitcraft an option like a redstone chair just makes a lot of sense. Multiple redstone chairs, even, all constructed differently for different uses. Such as ones for building. How does long distance travel work with the chair and how you lore your setting? Is it something he can put in his inventory? Is it something he remains in when using an elytra? Does that have any draw backs, such as being slower or needing more rockets or being less coordinated in the air?

I feel as though in the life series a mix of vex magic and horses makes a lot of sense. The magic is good for small spaces and short trips and emergencies, but it is too tiring to travel across the map with and too much effort to maintain when he needs to concentrate on battles. That would be where the horse comes into play.

As for what disability, well, it truly depends. Most of my rambles here have been based upon paraplegia, because I often times see people making him an ambulatory wheelchair user just because they do not know what to do otherwise.

Not that making him an ambulatory wheelchair user is a bad thing by any means. I am one and I adore reading stories like that. It is just a bit clear that a lot of you are quite lost as to how to navigate hurdles disabled people face, so you make it so he can walk over those hurdles. Which, once again, I am not shaming you for! This post is just to show there are other options

But in the case of him being an ambulatory wheelchair user: why is he one?

Mobilities aids are disabling unless you need them. You cannot access spaces or you do not have hands free or any number of things. What to the Scar you are writing makes using mobility aids helpful instead of a hindrance? What times are they more trouble than help, and what cost is there for not using it?

A good example is if Scar can walk around short distances with minimal difficulty/drawback, but long distances are painful or physically not possible.

Look into different disabilities and consider it. A lot of people tend to default to chronic pain because that tends to be quite a common one across a lot of disabled people, but there are a lot more different reasons why.

It could also be that he is very slow because of his disabilities. I have muscle weakness sometimes because of my FND, and it is like moving through sludge whenever I try and move.

It could also be that the mobility aids are a preventative measure. He does not need to use his wheelchair, unless he has done too much walking and then his body refuses to support his weight. He does not need to use his wheelchair, but when he does not he is a lot more likely to dislocate something and then yeah he can't walk. He does not need to use his wheelchair, but he is a fall risk especially after a lot of walking or running. Him being in his wheelchair prevents him from falling! (And if he's a fall risk, maybe he's strapped in too!)

I just have so many thoughts and I wanted to share them.

I see so many of you putting in effort already and it warms my heart. It is why I feel comfortable enough to make this post, because clearly you all care a lot about representing disabled people well.

:]

If you have read this far thank you so much. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

Edit: I made a rough redstone wheelchair design. It is one of the few reblogs that has comments, if you filter for that you should be able to find it. If not, reply to the post and I can send you the link to it. :]

[echo-stimmingrose]

This is your friendly reminder that just because lgbtqia+ pride month is over does not mean pride has stopped!

Happy disability pride month to all my fellow disabled people!

Another friendly reminder that yes, we have a flag! (Something I didn't even know until last year and I've been disabled my whole life)

Big companies will not sell products with this flag on it, there won't be parades, it won't be talked about on national television, nor will this flag be displayed in many places if at all; but we're still here and in many many places disabled people are still fighting for rights only abled people have. Our pride is important.

This month is for both physical disabilities AND mental disabilities, don't forget that

Happy disability pride 💚💚💚

[thisdreamisover]

"I don't know if I am disabled enough to use a mobility aid, but it has helped me a lot..." Sweetie, if it's helping you it's because you need it, completely able-bodied people don't need mobility aids to live to the fullest. If you can, use these aids, you deserve it.

[zebulontheplanet]

I want people to understand, as a new wheelchair user, I need patience. I need help. I need people to be there for me. Being a new wheelchair user is hard. Using a mobility aid is hard. Being new to using it, figuring out how to use it, dealing with the public, dealing with accessibility issues, all of that is hard. I need support.

My mom has been my support. She encourages me to use my wheelchair, she helps me get my wheelchair in and out of the car, she pushes me if i need it, she tells me to tell her if I need help. I appreciate that, and it’s the support I need. Me needing the support of others isn’t failure. Needing support isn’t failure. It’s thriving.

[smoov-criminal]

[ID: two selfies of maja in her new rigid wheelchair. the chair frame is black, and the pushrims, caster bumpers, and removable frame guards are red. there's a smoov attached to the back that's a bit hard to see. the first picture shows the whole chair and maja sitting in it. shes black with long dreadlocks with pink ends. she's wearing a black crop top with a red kieth haring dancing dog figure, green jeans, and combat boots. shes also wearing red black and white gloves and a battle vest with various pins and patches. shes holding the rims and looking forward with a slight smile. the second picture shows maja sitting in the chair from above looking down. a red t4t patch on the vest is visible. her head is cut off a bit and shes sticking her tongue out. /end ID]

im having so much fun actually leaving my house!! it's so nice out today and i get to be outside!!!

also i decorated the back a lil bit :3c

[ID: the back of maja's wheelchair. theres a black patch on the backrest with the words "hands off!" painted in red, and two white hands with red X's over them flank the words on both sides. the push handles have black plaid fabric with silver spikes on it wrapped around them. /end ID]

[jemineye]

seriously, though. i barely have enough energy, let alone using that same energy to cope with major chronic pains. not to mention dealing with anxiety/depression. when you see me out and about, im also not doing so great. don't chastise or be snarky towards me because of my routines.

[jenny-94]

entspannten sonntag heute mal paar bilder gemacht und jetzt couch und tv schauen 🥰

Relaxed Sunday today took a few pictures and now on the couch and watching TV🥰

[therealcodfather]

Angry rant alert

I am so fucking tired of people drawing/writing Scar with no wheelchair.

If you're an artist, you got this far with drawing you can fucking learn how to draw one. It's not 'too hard' it's your own ignorance. I don't care if it's 'not canon' stop being a pussy and using that as an excuse and just say you don't wanna draw/write your sexy Scar that you drool over in a wheelchair because you think wheelchairs are unattractive. It's not a good look for you. If you're not doing it on purpose and it's subconscious you can unlearn ableism, I hope this is a wake up call.

I'm a wheelchair user and we already get no representation as it is. Do you know how heartbreaking it is to see like 90% of the fandom fucking ignore his wheelchair for the sake of not being bothered to learn how to draw it OR because they think it's unattractive?

Try and come up with an excuse, tell me why you think you don't have to draw/write him in a wheelchair. Yeah? You thought of one? What shitty excuse is it? Maybe it's because you're 'not talented enough' you can learn. Is it because you don't wanna be offensive and mess Something up? It's more offensive to ignore his disability. Is it because it 'wouldn't work in the fanfic/drawing' yeah well guess what? Wheelchair users have to go through that shit in real life. There is ALWAYS a way to make it work because WE have to. We have no choice. If your excuse is 'well I don't want to so I don't have to' you're openly admitting you're abelist. Maybe you're thinking 'oh well I'm not rude to disabled people' if you didn't dislike them or think disabilities are ugly tell me WHY you don't want to draw/write it then.

End of rant. Cosplayers are exempt from this, don't buy a wheelchair JUST to Cosplay. If you wanna still be mindful of his disability you could always do cosplay photos/videos sitting down, or you could make a model cane instead (which obviously isn't as good as a wheelchair and you shouldn't do that in your drawing/writing however if you're a cosplayer it shows you're still being mindful of it and not erasing it completely)

Edit because somebody is ALREADY being stupid: I don't fucking care if cc Scar said it's okay to not draw his Character in a wheelchair. Tell me why YOU don't want to. Tell me why YOU feel relief that he's said that. I wanna hear it.

As my wonderful Boyfriend said, it doesn't matter if you HAVE to draw it. Why don't you WANT to.

Edit 2: Hopefully last edit. I've been told that apparently some people were harassed for drawing Scar in a wheelchair 'wrong' and I want to say, fuck those people for giving people a hard time. As a disabled guy I would much rather people draw wheelchairs 'wrong' than not at all. Drawing them is hard! I literally use a wheelchair and I can barely draw them! Please don't let those awful people offput you from drawing a wheelchair. If you do it and post it and people get mean about it genuinely tag me and I will take care of it. I really do feel for people who don't do it out of fear, and for you this post is irrelevant. If you're too scared because of the harassment you or someone you know has faced, please try and get over that fear but that is an actually genuinely valid reason. I really do encourage you to draw him in a wheelchair though.

[rqg179]

thinkin about lydia barkrock again i just. she's incredibly important to me both as someone who has chronic pain myself & as someone who grew up with a disabled parent. my mother was diagnosed when i was a toddler, so i don't remember a version of my mum who isn't disabled to some extent, it's just always been a fact of my life. and sure, there are certain things she can't do, and that list has probably gotten longer over the last few years, but she's still my mum, and she raised me, and she did a damn good job of it too. and idk i just. for the most part it's easy to find families that look like mine in fiction, but i'm not sure i've ever seen the medical side of my family in fiction in a way that feels as close to home as lydia & ragh's relationship does. it's just very lovely to see a disabled character who a) is a well-rounded character in and of herself, and b) is a parent, and is explicitly shown to be a good parent to her son

[beranibear]

Y’all,

Imagine not moving for a carer when you see them helping someone in a wheelchair onto the train.

Me and BF got on the train today; the whole carriage was basically empty and there was a dude sitting in the seat in the wheelchair/mobility area. BF stood there for a bit and nothing.

He had the whole train, plenty of other nicer seats, and refused to move. My BF had to sit on the damn floor in the wheelchair area and risk being crushed by my chair.

We need to help carers look after their loved ones with disabilities. If you see someone helping out a disabled loved one give them space to work and care.

These spots are there for those people, or other people with disabilities. No one should be forced to sit on the floor so they can be near their loved one (and to help if needed).

Carers matter just as much as the mobility aids or disability devices a disabled person uses. If you don’t give them space to work, and don’t give them the empathy you give to me in my wheelchair then you obviously don’t realise how important carers are.

[maxbutnotcaulfield]

Okay so like, months ago, @blusthings drew Chloe with crutches and I was like "omg omg I love it gotta do it too"... And then I did, and hated the results and never posted it, lol. And a few days ago I found the sketch again and went "let's actually finish this".

And in the end it doesn't look that bad! Anyway, here are my headcanons :

In this AU, Chloe definitely zooms as fast as she can as soon as the ground is flat enough (Max has to run after her and it Chloe thinks it's the funniest shit). She's into skateboard, and she sometimes skates using her crutches for support, but she's actually saving up to buy herself a sports wheelchair specifically to skate, and she's already learned some tricks. She's a badass, and quite similar to the Chloe we know and love <3

[putra-paraplegic]

[justsomerandomgay]

EVERYONE GUESS WHO WALKED 100 METRES OUTSIDE WITH JUST MY CANE!? ME!!!!!

im going to cry, im so happy, i genuinely can’t remember the last time i could walk that far

[cripplepunkpics]

ID: a black “handicap accessible” style wheelchair user silhouette holding up a middle finger. They also have a red spiked mohawk. End ID.